Kansas Citians will get a glimpse of what might be in store for Kansas City Public Schools Monday afternoon when a consultant’s recommendations for the unaccredited district will be presented to the Missouri State Board of Education.
State education commissioner Chris Nicastro has said she’s looking for a major transformation of the state’s chronically under-performing districts. In August, the board hired consultant CEE-Trust to research the history and status of school reform in Kansas City, and effective practices from around the country.
Some community organizations and lawmakers have questioned the process by which the consultant was hired, a process that began before the school district was denied provisional accreditation. Members of MORE2 and the Kansas City NAACP will be rallying against the proposal in Jefferson City Monday. Some critics are also concerned with CEE Trust’s support of charter schools.
This research study was financed by the Kauffman and Hall Family Foundations.
Nicastro has said another proposal for unaccredited districts, drawn up by area superintendents, is also still on the table.
